Wild and deadly in Laos
11 March, 2012
Reporter: Alex Cullen
Researcher: Kelly Hawke
Go to full transcript
Until recently Vang Vieng in Laos was a sleepy fishing village.
Today it’s on the must do list for every young Australian heading overseas. A thrill seekers paradise where anything goes and there are no limits.
But with the buckets of booze, pulsing dance music and river tubing, death is stalking. This seemingly harmless stunt, floating down a river for several days in a tyre inner tube while stopping frequently to drink and dance, has taken a sinister turn. Unscrupulous operators are selling alcohol and illicit drugs to backpackers, and the result is leaving families burying their children.
In the past two months three young Australian fun seekers have died in South East Asia.
This special Sunday Night investigation follows the harrowing stories of a number of Aussies Annika Morris and Melba Blyth-Evin who nearly died during what they thought was going to be the adventure of a lifetime.
Warnings
Official record from DFAT from all deaths in Thailand/Laos in 2011
DFAT spokesperson: “Following table indicates the number of deaths of Australians in Thailand and Laos in 2011. We don't have separate data for injuries, but can provide the number of hospitalisations/illnesses recorded in each country."
Thailand
Deaths, 69; Illnesses/Hospitalisation, 150
Laos
Death, 16; Illnesses/Hospitalisation, 15
Two Australian boys have died in 2012 as a result of “tubing”. Three in total.
More information:
www.dfat.gov.au/geo/laos/laos_brief.html
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